Pull-socket current tap



Aug. 21, 1923. 1,465,735

J. W. LAVINE PULL SOCKET CURRENT TAP Filed Aug. 1, 1921 INVENTOR. Ja/zlz WLaz/tlae Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

JOHN W. LAVINE, BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

PULL-SOCKET CURRENT TAP.

Application filed August 1, 1921. Serial No. 488,792.

' T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that JoHN W. LAVINE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pull- Socket Current Taps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical current taps of the type adapted to be utilized in connection with lamp receiving sockets having ordinary receptacle terminals and also provided with constantly live supplemental terminals independent of the receptacle terminals whereby current can be tapped from the socket by means of an ordinarv line-tap plug and led to an auxiliary translating device located at a distance from the current tap.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, current taps provided with constantly live supplemental terminals included no means whereby the contacts of a tapping plug once inserted could be removed from the electric circuit without the necessity of withdrawing said plug from its seat. It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide a current tap equipped with means making it possible to shut off from a circuit the contacts of an inserted tapping plug, and consequently, to remove from said circuit an auxiliary translating device. To this end, I have devised a current tap of the novel construction to be clearly set forth, including a unique switch element for the purpose of controlling the passage of current from constantly live supplemental terminals to the contacts of a tapping plug.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention comprises the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as now to be fully described and as hereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made so iong as within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Fig. l is an elevational view of a lamp socket including a current tap embodying the novel features of the present, invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View on line 2-2 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

12 denote, respectively, the center and the screw shell contacts thereof set up and connected in any preferred manner, and 13 denotes generally any common means for rendering said contacts 11 and 12 live or dead according to the position of. said means 13.

Of the current tapof this invention, 14

and 15 denote, respectively, supplemental constantly live terminals suitably supported from the lamp socket in any ordinary or preferred way, and 15 denotes a tapping plug receiving member suitably connected with the lamp socket and having channels 16 for receiving the contact blades 17 of the tapping plug 18 carrying a cord 19 leading to an auxiliary translating device as hereinbefore mentioned.

The tapping plug receiving member is an insulating disk as shown, and is desirably connected with the lamp socket by means of a one piece preferably'metallic member having a body portion 20 shaped to encircle and grasp the lamp socket and a tubular neck portion 21 within the free end of which the tapping plug receiving member is securely fixe The supplemental terminals 14 and 15 are situated directly beneath the channels 16 so that the contact blades 17 of the tapping plug 18 when inserted are in direct alignment withsaid terminals '14 and 15. It.

will be clear that were said contact blades made to engage the terminals 14 and 15 when inserted, the auxiliarytranslating device would be in electrical connection at all times with said terminals 14 and 15.

As is very clearly shown in the drawing, I provide a simple and novel switch element whereby the contact blades 17 may or may not be in electrical engagement with the terminals 14 and 15 when the tapping plug inserted, to thus control the passage of ourrent to the auxiliary translating device to. which the cord 19 leads, the switch element comprising an insulating disk 22 of suitable material having thereon conductors 23 adapted to simultaneously engage said contact blades and supplemental terminals, respectively, or to be removed therefrom. Desirably each conductor 23 comprises a short strip of bendable metal intermediate portions of which are arranged to pass through the insulating disk 22 and the end portions of which are bent down against said disk 22, as will be understood, so that portions of said conductors are arranged uponboth faces of the insulating disk. Arranged centrally of the disk is a hole 24 adapted to receive a screw 25 which passes through the tapping plug receiving member 15' and has its end threaded into a plate 26, said plate and screw furnishing additional means for supporting the tapping plug receiving member.

Th tubular portion 21 of the metallic member supporting the tapping plug receiving member is slotted as at 27 to allow manipulation of the switch element, and a handle 28 upon the disk 22 is for the pur pose of actuating said disk.

As will be most clear from Figs. 2 and 3, the switch element is located upon the screw 25 to be situated between the terminals 14 and 15 and the tapping plug receiving member 15, said terminals being spaced sufiicient distance, from said member to allow theconductors to pass therebetween, and the terminals 14 and 15 are preferably of resilient material to exert yielding pressure against the.conductors 23.

- The manner in which the current tap functions will be obvious and can be used with current on or 011 of lamp. When the switch element is positioned as shown in 'full lines in Fig. 4 the conductors 23 will be removed from the terminals 14 and 15 andfrom beneath the channels 16. When said switch element is moved to the dotted line, (see Fig. 4), the terminals 14 and 15 will engage and exert a yielding pressure against the conductors, as disclosed in Fig. 3 and the conductors will be located directly beneath the channels 16 in position to be engaged by the contact blades when inserted. It is apparent without further description that the switch element can be adjusted to off or on position while the contact blades are inserted.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patnt is I 1. In a plug socket having a plug in portion at one end, a socket at the other end, and a switch adapted to open and close an electrical circuit between said plug-in portion and said socket, a current tap comprising an insulation member at one side of the plug socket having a pair of spacedpassages, a plug having prongs adaptedto be inserted in said passages with their ends exposed at the inner side of said member, a pair of terminals Within said plug socket in constant electrical connection with said plug-in portion and in opposed and spaced relation to said inserted prongs, and a movable switch element disposed between said member and said terminals and having spaced contact portions adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the respective inserted prongs and terminals.

2. The invention as in claim 1, further characterized in that said switch element consists of a rotatable insulation member pivotally mounted centrally between said terminals, and a pair of radially disposed spacedcontacts having electrically connected faces exposed at each side of said member and adapted upon rotation of said member to be moved into and out of engagement with the respective inserted prongs and ter- .member surrounding the body of the plug socket and having a cylindrical portion extending at one side of the plug socket, a circular insulation member disposed in said cylindrical portion and having a pair of spaced passages, a plug having prongs adapted to be inserted in said passages with their ends exposed at the inner side of said member, a pair of terminals withinsaid plug socket in constant electrical connection with said plug-in portion and in opposed and spaced relation to said inserted prongs, a rotatable insulation switch element pivotally mounted centrally upon said circular insulation member and disposed between said member and said terminals, and a pair of radially disposed spaced contacts exposed at each side of said switch member and adapted to be moved into and out of engage- JOHN w. LAVINE.

Witnesses:

LILLIAN M. ALLING, C. M. NEWMAN. 

